Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

pa dutch chicken corn soup

(3 ratings)
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Michelle Koletar/Mertz
Harrisburg, PA

Your family will gobble this up! It is a staple here in Central PA. I feel bad for those who don't know of it! There are lots of good chicken corn soups out there (I love them all), but my friends have given me the top honors on mine. You can't go wrong on making this, honestly. Use your own judgement in taste, and I always get extra chicken broth & bouillon on hand, just in case I need to enhance flavors. You can skip the rivels or add some thin noodles in their place. A lot of this is up to your own tastebuds & the chickens you use. Enjoy!

Blue Ribbon Recipe

Chicken corn soup has a light sweetness from the corn and a savoriness from the chicken. This particular recipe has a rich broth mixed with a variety of herbs and is cooked low and slow for several hours. The outcome is a flavorful, comforting bowl of soup. It takes a little time to make but it makes a large amount... great if you want leftovers or serving a crowd. A warming meal for a cold night.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(3 ratings)
yield 10 serving(s)
prep time 1 Hr
cook time 4 Hr

Ingredients For pa dutch chicken corn soup

  • 2
    fryer chickens or one large roaster (6 lbs total)
  • 4 can
    chicken broth (14.5 oz each)
  • 2-3
    chicken bouillon cubes
  • 2 pinch
    saffron and nutmeg (each)
  • 4 can
    corn (yellow, white or mix), 14.5 oz each
  • 3
    stalks celery, including leaves
  • 1 lg
    onion
  • 3 tsp
    fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2
    whole carrots, unpeeled & not cut
  • salt & pepper
  • 3
    hard-boiled eggs
  • 1 c
    all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 c
    milk
  • 1
    egg, beaten

How To Make pa dutch chicken corn soup

  • Chickens, celery stalks, carrots, onion, kosher salt & pepper boiling in a pot.
    1
    Boil chickens, celery stalks, carrots, and onion, some kosher salt & pepper in a stockpot with enough water to cover both. I add about 1 tsp of curry & some chicken bouillon at this point because I like a hearty broth.
  • Cooked chicken removed from the pot.
    2
    When chicken is cooked, remove chicken & refrigerate separately.
  • Vegetables removed from the broth.
    3
    Let broth cool down a bit to room temperature. Discard celery and onion. Refrigerate broth overnight.
  • Skimming fat from the broth.
    4
    Next day, skim fat from top of broth.
  • Heating broth in a Dutch oven.
    5
    Heat broth over medium heat.
  • Chicken bouillon and cans of chicken broth added to the Dutch oven.
    6
    Add chicken bouillon and cans of chicken broth. Heat to almost a boil.
  • Chicken picked from the bone.
    7
    Remove skin and bones from chickens. Pick off meat in large chunks.
  • Adding chicken to the broth.
    8
    Add chicken to the broth.
  • Spices and seasoning added to the broth.
    9
    Add a few pinches of saffron and nutmeg (optional). I also like to add some Hungarian paprika, dill, a bay leaf, a dash of onion powder, a dash of garlic powder, and a little celery seed.
  • Adding corn to the broth.
    10
    Add cans of corn. I drain all the cans of corn but one and add the corn juice to the soup. (NOTE: Most people use fresh corn on the cob or frozen corn for their chicken corn soup. I prefer the cans, just because I think it's better flavor.)
  • Adding more seasoning to the soup.
    11
    Add more salt & pepper to taste. Let cook for about an hour and check taste again. This normally is where I will add more water if necessary, more chicken bouillon, salt, etc.
  • Adding hard boiled eggs to the soup.
    12
    Cut up hard-boiled eggs into bite-size pieces. Add to the pot.
  • Sprinkling fresh parsley into the soup.
    13
    Continue cooking and add some fresh parsley snipped in small flakes. Once you are happy with the flavor, bring to a low boil and begin to prepare the rivels. My favorite part of chicken corn soup!!!
  • Flour, beaten egg, and milk mixed in a bowl.
    14
    Mix the flour, beaten egg, and milk well. I add a few teaspoons of the broth, too, just for flavor.
  • Dropping tiny bits of batter into the soup.
    15
    Once it is very well blended, drop by very teeny balls into the soup. (Make sure broth is boiling). I take a fork & just let the rival batter fall off. They are not supposed to be pretty, so don't worry about rolling them or making them uniform! They will be a mishmash of yumminess. Don't make the mistake of getting lazy and making the rivals too large or they won't cook well. You can add some broken thin noodles instead if you want to skip this step.
  • Rivels cooking in the broth.
    16
    Continue stirring over boil for about 10/15 mins. The rivels should have a dough texture. I taste again, add more salt & pepper as needed, and another chicken bouillon, if necessary.
  • Sprinkling in fresh parsley.
    17
    Add fresh chopped parsley. Stir & serve.
  • PA Dutch Chicken Corn Soup in a bowl.
    18
    ENJOY!!! This is everyone's favorite soup in Central PA!
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